Dodging Snipers, Daring to Push Forward

During the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943), one Russian sniper named Vasily Zaitsev is reported to have killed scores of enemy soldiers and even a dozen rival snipers while surviving every ambush. Although the scope of his success (pun intended) cannot be verified independently, his story – portrayed in the film Enemy at the Gates – strikes a nerve at the core of our human psyche. The threat of a hidden yet nearby enemy who targets victims with precision has terrorized humanity for millennia. Although the weapon of choice in ancient times was an arrow instead of a bullet, the same basic fear existed – as seen in the psalmist’s words: “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day” (Psalm 91:5). 

Sniper activity, which simultaneously seems anonymously random and personally aimed at the victim, is nerve wracking for even hardened soldiers. The battle is effectively over when an army comes to a standstill, since victory without movement forward is all but impossible. It has been said that snipers can capitalize on fear by consistently picking off either the first or the second person in an enemy unit. If such tactics become common knowledge in the enemy ranks, the result is demoralization or complete paralysis. In the first case, nobody will want to lead; in the second case, nobody will want to follow. It is very tempting to simply “shelter in place.” 

The current spiritual war surrounding the COVID-19 crisis has much in common with a sniper situation. Movement has ground to a halt, with countless millions fearing to come and go even within their own neighborhoods. Others may not greatly fear the virus, but simply try to avoid unintentionally meeting an infected individual – since this could lead to quarantine for themselves in places that have enforced contact tracing. These days the very act of going out of the house can feel just a bit like risking exposure to a sniper, as I myself realized recently when a person with whom I spoke received a message minutes later requiring him to enter lockdown after having been near a virus carrier some days earlier.

God may be preparing us through this crisis for persecution, war and societal upheavals during which we will be exposed to “spiritual snipers” at every step. Let us remember that we need not fear the terror of the arrow, since even in the “worst case scenario” being struck means going to be with God. As long as we are still here, let us live with the expectation that God wants to work miracles for us and through us in spite of the snipers, and let us reject the temptation to “shelter in place” spiritually. 

Two things amaze me about the story of Vasily Zaitsev. First, he survived! And this, even after being himself targeted ruthlessly by snipers! That alone is a miracle. Second, he did not let the fear of the enemy paralyze him as he himself inched forward in battle cautiously yet boldly. His remarkable feat reminds us that, although death is possible, God will preserve us miraculously for as long as he wants us on this earth. Just think of it: by God’s grace, we just might survive and triumph!

I am reminded of the incredible story of Gladys Aylward, a British woman who moved to China several years before the Japanese invasion of the 1930s. The wartime conditions left countless children orphaned, many of whom found refuge with her. The Japanese advance caused her to flee with approximately one hundred orphans, and she just barely escaped death by enemy gunfire as she left the newly captured city. She and her band traversed mountains and rivers on a trek deeper into China that lasted a month. Their safe arrival was nothing short of miraculous – an answer to prayers made by a little woman to a great God. 

The eyes of the Lord are always searching for people whose hearts are complete in him, so that he can show himself strong through them (2 Chronicles 16:9). In the difficult days that are bearing down upon us, why shouldn’t one of them be you?

Partisanship and the Role of the Prophets

When we as humans face a war for survival, we fight to the death and we fight to win. In existential struggles, those who “play nice” or insist on following the rules are considered weak and naïve, or perhaps even guilty of collaboration with the enemy. After all, we need to win at any cost, don’t we?

The people of Jerusalem faced the same burning question during Jeremiah’s time. The nation was ripe for judgment after decades of ignoring prophetic calls to repentance. The situation had actually passed the point of no return and the threat of Babylonian conquest was imminent, but the people believed that the presence of the Temple would prevent any harm (Jeremiah 7:4, 16; 11:14; 14:11). The same sentiment existed among the people a century earlier: “Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us” (Micah 3:11).  

These words reflect the natural response of religious societies to any criticism of their actions, let alone even the mention of divine judgment. Such a prophetic message is offensive on several levels. First of all, it reminds us that good works and religious observance are not enough to outweigh the consequences of rebellion in other areas of life. Secondly, it undercuts the idea that humanity cannot control the ultimate timing of judgment by rushing to “repent” every time just before the ax falls. Thirdly, it challenges the circular reasoning that “we are right because we are right” which views God as obligated to grant the victory. And fourthly, the message is seen as a demoralizing act that plays into the hands of those evil Babylonians who are, after all, the enemies of God himself. 

Jeremiah paid a high price for his critique of the spiritual condition of the nation, and he was even accused of cooperation with the Babylonians (Jeremiah 26:7-11; 37:11-15). He faced what today we could call partisanship. Everything about Judah had to be defended, and every other voice had to be silenced. The nation believed that Jeremiah’s message was a betrayal that undermined the fight for survival. They rejected the idea that Jeremiah’s prophetic criticism could be from God since their enemies were obviously so much worse. 

Today we face a fight-to-the-death over the future of entire societies and humanity itself. Many of us fear that it would hand victory to the “other side” if we ever admitted that anybody on “our side” could ever be in the wrong. This is an understandable defensive reaction to an emergency situation complete with hordes of foes at the gates who are bent on destruction rather than constructive criticism. However, this response is perilous because it feeds the concept that “we-are-right-because-we-are-right” and it cripples the role of the prophets in our lives.

Sometimes the last defenses that still seem to be standing are political leaders who at any other time would be considered unfit to represent the cause of believers. Many cling to them and defend their words and actions as though life itself depended on it. The fight to protect their reputations may seem necessary in the current crisis, but it leads us into a twilight zone of self-deception if we silence any critique that deviates from the partisan position. Unwittingly, we reject the fundamental right of God to hold all of us to account and to correct even those who are closest to him.

Perhaps God is leading us to a place where we trust him to be our only true defense – even as every safe space is being torn away and even though it seems that the enemy is winning one victory after another. Friends, the leaders and institutions in whom we have trusted will soon disappear. The “Babylonians” about to replace them are truly evil in every sense of the word. But God himself promised to fight our battles – even if it is not in a way that we would have chosen (Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 20:4; 2 Chronicles 20:17; Romans 8:31-37). If we lose everything in this world, we still have him. Maybe these losses for “our side” – as painful as they might be – are preparing us to embrace a future much brighter than what this fallen world could ever have offered.